Goal 16 - Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels

Indicator 16.a.1 - Existence of independent national human rights institutions in compliance with the Paris Principles

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Global Metadata

This table provides information on metadata for SDG indicators as defined by the United Nations Statistical Commission. Complete global metadata documentation on all indicators in Goal 16, unless otherwise noted, is provided by the UN Statistics Division.

See UN metadata for 16.a.1

SDG Indicator Name Existence of independent national human rights institutions in compliance with the Paris Principles
SDG Target Addressed Strengthen relevant national institutions, including through international cooperation, for building capacity at all levels, in particular in developing countries, to prevent violence and combat terrorism and crime.
Definition of SDG Indicator Definition This indicator measures the proportion of countries that have internationally recognized independent (NHRIs) based on the rules of procedure of the International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions (ICC). Concepts A National Human Rights Institution is an independent administrative body set up by a State to promote and protect human rights. NHRIs are State bodies with a constitutional and/or legislative mandate to protect and promote human rights. They are part of the State apparatus and are funded by the State. However, they operate and function independently from government. While their specific mandate may vary, the general role of NHRIs is to address discrimination in all its forms, as well as to promote the protection of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. Core functions of NHRIs include complaint handling, human rights education and making recommendations on law reform. Effective NHRIs are an important link between government and civil society, in so far as they help bridge the 'protection gap' between the rights of individuals and the responsibilities of the State. Six models of NHRIs exist across all regions of the world today, namely: Human rights commissions, Human rights ombudsman institutions, Hybrid institutions, Consultative and advisory bodies, Institutes and centres and multiple institutions. An Independent NHRI is an institution with 'A level' accreditation status as benchmarked against the United Nations Paris Principles, which were adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1993.1 The process of accreditation is conducted through peer review by the Sub-Committee on Accreditation (SCA) of the ICC. There are three possible types of accreditation: A: Compliance with Paris Principles B: Observer Status ' Not fully in compliance with the Paris Principles or insufficient information provided to make a determination C: Non-compliant with the Paris Principles Accreditation by the ICC entails a determination whether the NHRI is compliant, both in law and practice, with the Paris principles, the principal source of the normative standards for NHRIs, as well as with the General Observations developed by the SCA. Other international standards may also be taken into account by the SCA, including the provisions related to the establishment of national mechanisms in the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment as well as in the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Likewise, the SCA looks at any NHRI-related recommendation from the international human rights mechanisms, notably, the Treaty Bodies, Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and special procedures. The process also looks into the effectiveness and level of engagement with international human rights systems. Method of computation The indicator is computed as the accreditation classification, namely A, B or C of the NHRI.
UN Designated Tier 1
UN Custodial Agency OHCHR

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